This invention relates to certain fluorescent organosilicon compounds and to the use of such compounds for the treatment of hair. More particularly, the invention relates to aminofunctional siloxanes rendered fluorescent by reaction of the siloxanes with certain fluorescent labeling reagents.
The molecules of certain inorganic and organic substances when irradiated with radiant energy of sufficient intensity and appropriate wavelength absorb energy and then these excited molecules immediately emit radiant energy of a longer wavelength. This phenomenon is called fluorescence. Fluorescence spectra are uniquely characteristic of the molecular energy levels of the molecules emitting the absorbed radiant energy. The intensity of this fluorescence is proportional to the concentration of the fluorescent substance. A spectrofluorometer or spectrophotometer equipped with a fluorescence attachment can be used to obtain the excitation spectrum and emission spectrum of a fluorescent substance. The fluorescence excitation spectrum is obtained by irradiating a sample with energy of different wavelengths while measuring the intensity of the emission fluorescence at a fixed wavelength. Numerous materials exhibit fluorescence including materials otherwise known as fluorescent dyes and pigments such as optical brighteners, fluorescent labeling reagents, laser dyes, and spin labels. These materials respond only to ultraviolet radiation in contrast to those materials otherwise known as daylight fluorescent pigments.
Fluorescent organosilicon compounds are not new. For example, fluorescent aminofunctional polysiloxanes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,866,152, issued Sep. 12, 1989. The fluorescent siloxanes in the '152 patent are formed by reacting the aminofunctional polyorganosiloxanes with certain optical brightening agents which are specifically fluorescent functional organosulfonic acids and fluorescent functional organoaldehydes. The compounds of the present invention, however, are not produced by employing optical brightening agents but rather fluorescent materials of a different nature such as fluorescent labeling reagents. Thus, new compositions are disclosed herein which are distinct from those compositions taught in the '152 patent.